18:00 - Arrive in Cardiff either by air, rail, or boat. The recommended mode of transport is a First Great Western train directly from London Paddington, arriving in Cardiff in about 2 hours. Tickets can be purchased in advance for as low as 2 pounds each way from their website – http://www.firstgreatwestern.co.uk/

19:00 - Check into your accommodations. A great hostel with an authentic Welsh ambience is NosDa located along the Taff River across from the Millennium stadium. Reservations can be made online for as low as 18 pounds a night for a 4-bed ensuite dorm room at http://www.nosda.co.uk

20:00 – Catch a quick nap. You might need it.

21:00 – Head on over to The Yard on Mary Street for dinner. The Yard is a collection of restaurants, pubs, and bars along Mary Street. Good choices for dinner include the Yard Kitchen and Chiquitos. Check out http://www.wcities.com/en/record/,51979/7/record.html for more.

22:00 – Stop by the Lava Lounge for drinks and dancing. Move to a mix of tracks spanning different eras from Whitney Houston dance mixes to more recent tracks from Timbaland and ”JT” as well as Euro-style house and techno - http://www.lavalounge.co.uk/cardiff_index.php

24:00-02:00 – Retire when exhausted.

02:00-08:00 – Do sleep in. Cardiff is not that big.

09:00 – Check out after breakfast or head over to many of the local cafes close to Cardiff Castle for an authentic Welsh breakfast.

10:00 – 11:30 – Spend the morning on the grounds of Cardiff Castle for 3 pounds or add a tour through the elegant halls and bedrooms for 7-8 pounds. Be sure to hike up Norman’s Keep for great views of the grounds as well as Cardiff - http://www.cardiffcastle.com

11:30 – Hop on one of the sightseeing buses for 8 pounds to get a guided view of the city - http://www.hopon-hopoff.com/

12:30 – Hop off at Cardiff Bay. Visit the piers and shops around and within Mermaid Quay. Relive your childhood on the Merry-go-round or the Ferris wheel - http://www.mermaidquay.co.uk/

14:00 – For lunch, hit Harry Ramsdens for fish and chips – Lightly battered haddock and fries. All you need are malt vinegar and salt.

15:00 – Hop back on the bus to make it back into town

16:00 – Visit the National Museum - http://www.museumwales.ac.uk/en/cardiff

17:00 – Spend the next hour soaking up nature at Bute Park right next to the castle. Check out the "mini-Stonehenge". Maybe grab an ice-cream cone at one of the vendors. You can then head off to Cardiff Central to catch your train to Paddington Station

18:00 – Say “Hwyl fawr” to Cardiff